The Alamogordo Department of Public Safety is plagued by infighting and factionalism and the leadership inspires little confidence among subordinates, according to a city-commissioned study obtained by the Alamogordo Daily News.

"Unable to address the intractable problems it faces, the Alamogordo Department of Public Safety is adrift. The challenges it faces are both significant and difficult to address," said the 112-page report by Berkshire Advisors, a law-enforcement consulting firm.

The Alamogordo City Commissioners received the report last month but kept it secret until Monday, releasing it after the Daily News submitted several requests to view the report.

The report also cites a strained relationship between ADPS and the Otero County Sheriff's Department. The report said those problems are longstanding and preceded the tenures of current Sheriff Benny House and recently retired ADPS director Kelly O. Wallis.

The Daily News attempted to contact Wallis and House, but neither responded by Tuesday evening.

The city paid Berkshire $49,500, which included the cost to do the study of all ADPS departments.

The study was commissioned by former city manager Mark Roath, who resigned from his position in May.

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Roath left on good terms with the city and with a severance payout of $29,873.16.

Acting City Manager Bob Carter said the study is a learning tool for the future of the department.

"First we have to get an ADPS director that can help take the department to that next level," Carter said. "My number one goal is to try to get us a director as soon as possible that can work with the commission to see what they want to implement into practice (within ADPS)."

He said he believes the search for a new ADPS director is going well.

"We're still open and receiving candidates," Carter said. "Hopefully when we get a good cross section of candidates then we can go ahead and start our process of seeing what we can come up with. We have about six applicants. We're in the process of vetting them now. A couple of them are from outside the community."

The Berkshire report recommends that the new director come from outside the department.

According to the study, while discord within organizations is not uncommon, infighting within ADPS is especially destructive because the allegations center on the integrity and competence of department leaders.

Some within the department accuse key managers and leaders of being at best untruthful and at worst corrupt, according to the report.

Berkshire Advisors Inc. said in their role as consultants, they couldn't assess the accuracy of the allegations.

The report also said the concerns about the competence and integrity of key leaders are not limited to a handful of disgruntled employees.

The problems within ADPS are well-known in the community, the report said.

Despite the past and current problems facing ADPS, personnel continue to be proud to go to work and perform as a unit when a crisis erupts in the community, the report stated.

The report recommends a number of changes in the department, including reorganization of the command structure.

Alamogordo Mayor Susie Galea said the City Commission is not ready to adopt all the recommendations of the Berkshire study until a director is in place at ADPS.

"Some of the recommendations are being implemented by our (acting) city manager (Carter)," Galea said. "There are many acting sergeants and lieutenants within the department. They're acting and not truly promoted or receiving the pay for that position so that's going to change. We are going to put the people who are qualified into those positions."

She said the search for a director is ongoing.

"The study does say the director should be someone from outside the community," Galea said. "We did have an interim director lined up but that fell through. They would have been able to do it 30 hours a week. Carter is there and has to be city manager every day of the week. He's not giving a full 30 hours a week at ADPS. It would suffice for someone to be an intermediate until we can find a full-time director."

She said she believes all of the changes at ADPS could be done and implemented within two years if an ADPS director is there full time.

"It's taking so long to get a director because we're not going to settle on anyone who has less than the minimum qualifications, education and experience," Galea said. "ADPS deserves a director that's highly qualified."

The opportunity created by Wallis' retirement should not be squandered because the city is unwilling to pay the compensation necessary to attract the right candidate for the position, the study stated.

The Berkshire report also stated that fire services personnel expressed a perception of themselves as second-class department employees and they are required to clean up after ADPS officers at accident scenes or fires. The report also states animal control personnel feel alienated from the department.

According to the study, fire personnel should be staffing fire stations rather than ADPS officers because it's not cost effective for the city.

The relationship between ADPS and the Otero County Sheriff's Department is not strong, according to the study.

Several ADPS officers and personnel have left ADPS to join the sheriff's department, the study stated.

The most visible symptom between ADPS and the sheriff's department is when deputies provide law enforcement services in Alamogordo, according to the study.

The Berkshire study stated that Wallis, prior to retiring, suggested House was not complying with the current memorandum of understanding between ADPS and the sheriff's department.

According to the study, House, for his part, has proposed an alternative MOU for the department to consider, but ADPS personnel have indicated that they work well with their counterparts at the sheriff's department even though a number of ADPS personnel have gone to work for them.